JP6999755B2 - How to make a flap for a device to seal the front end, and a flap for a device to seal the front end intake - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a sealing device, and more particularly to a method for manufacturing a flap for a sealing device for a front end intake port of an automobile, and a flap for a sealing device for the front end intake port obtained by such a method.

The front end of the vehicle usually has two main intakes, called upper and lower intakes, separated by fenders. The heat exchangers of the vehicle, such as the heat exchangers used to air-condition the cabin and / or the heat exchangers used to cool the engine, are usually located behind this fender.

The air path through the main intake, usually the lower intake, is equipped with multiple flaps mounted so as to swivel around parallel axes and closes from the open position under the action of appropriate control measures. It is also known to place support frames that are designed to take multiple different angular positions over the position.

It provides a sealing device belonging to Jalousie that makes it possible to regulate the air flow through the air intake to the heat exchanger. This helps optimize the efficiency of these heat exchangers by varying the amount of air received by the heat exchangers on demand. In addition, at high speeds, the flaps in the closed position help reduce the drag coefficient of the vehicle, thereby improving the aerodynamics of the vehicle.

The flaps of such sealing devices are usually molded. The manufacturing method by molding the flaps is inflexible in manufacturing and incurs considerable cost because the mold must be completely changed in order to change the type or dimensions of the flaps.

Therefore, one of the objects of the present invention is to at least partially overcome the shortcomings of the prior art by proposing an improved manufacturing method.

Therefore, the present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a flap for an automobile sealing device, the above method:
The step of extruding the hollow contour formed from the outer panel made of the first material,
The step of cutting the hollow contour part to a predetermined length so as to form the flap body,
Includes a step to attach the end piece to the end of the flap body.

The fact that the hollow contours forming the flap body are manufactured by extrusion helps to obtain a thinner skin than the molding method. The thinner the skin, the lighter the flap. Furthermore, the fact that the hollow contours forming the flap body are manufactured by extrusion molding means that the manufacturing method is cheaper and more flexible than molding. In practice, it is not necessary to change the mold to change the flap length, just the cutting length of the hollow contour. To change the structure of the flap body in terms of shape or width, one simply needs to change the die of the extruder, which is considerably less expensive than the entire mold.

According to one aspect of the invention, at least one support member is formed in the hollow of the contour portion during the extrusion step of the hollow contour portion.

According to another aspect of the invention, the manufacturing method comprises an additional step in which the seal is placed on at least one of the edges of the flap body.

According to another aspect of the invention, the extrusion step is intended to form a seal on a first material intended to form a hollow contour and at least one edge of the hollow contour. Coextrusion with a second material.

According to another aspect of the invention, the hollow contour has a substantially elliptical contour cross section.

According to another aspect of the invention, the first material is a metallic material.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the thickness of the outer plate of the flap body is between 0.1 and 0.5 mm, preferably between 0.2 and 0.3 mm.

According to another aspect of the invention, the first material is a thermoplastic polymer.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the thickness of the outer plate of the flap body is between 0.5 and 1 mm, preferably between 0.7 and 0.9 mm.

The present invention also relates to a flap of a device for sealing a front end intake port obtained by such a method. The flap according to the present invention includes a main body having an outer plate, an outer plate including a hollow contour portion, and two end pieces arranged at the ends of the flap main body, and each end piece is one corresponding one. It is arranged so as to block only the hollow contour portion. In other words, each end of the flap has only one end piece so that each end piece only covers, blocks or blocks one end of the flap, the flap has a hollow cross section. Or have a contour.

Therefore, such flaps are lighter than prior art flaps while providing satisfactory mechanical strength.

According to one aspect of the invention, the end pieces have different shapes.

According to another aspect of the invention, the flap body has at least one support that connects the two opposing portions of the skin.

According to another aspect of the invention, at least one end piece has a pin extending along a swivel axis designed to work with a bearing supported by a support frame.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become clearer by reading the following description and accompanying drawings given by non-limiting examples.

It is a schematic perspective front view of the sealing device in a closed position. It is a schematic perspective view of a control element. It is a schematic exploded perspective view of a flap. It is the schematic of the cross section of the flap body. It is a flow chart of the step of the method of manufacturing a flap.

The same elements in different drawings are identified using the same reference code.

The following embodiments are examples. The description refers to one or more embodiments, but this does not necessarily mean that each reference numeral refers to the same embodiment, but that the feature applies to only one embodiment. It's not something to do. The individual features of the different embodiments can be combined or exchanged to provide other embodiments.

In the present description, specific elements or parameters, such as a first element or a second element, or a first parameter and a second parameter, or a first criterion and a second criterion can be numbered. .. In this case, such numbering is only intended to distinguish between similar but non-identical elements, parameters or criteria. This numbering does not prioritize the priority of one element, parameter or criterion over another, and the description can be easily exchanged without departing from the scope of the present specification. Moreover, this numbering does not mean, for example, a time series when evaluating a criterion.

The axis system XYZ is used in FIGS. 1 and 2 to show the viewing angles of the figures in relation to each other. The axes of this system may be related to different orientations of the vehicle. The axis X may be an axis along the length of the vehicle, the axis Y may be the axis in the width direction of the vehicle, and the axis Z may be the axis along the height of the vehicle.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a sealing device in a closed position. More precisely, FIG. 1 shows the outer surface of the sealing device 1, that is, the surface facing the outside of the vehicle.

The sealing device 1 specifically connects a support frame 5 including two longitudinal transverse members 5a extending parallel to the axis Y of the axis system and a longitudinal transverse member 5a extending parallel to the axis Z of the axis system. It is equipped with at least two side pillars 5b. Preferably, the support frame 5 is made of plastic and the two longitudinal transverse members 5a and at least two side pillars 5b are obtained by injection molding. The support frame 5 can be molded as a single component in order to improve its rigidity.

One or more flaps 3 are installed inside the support frame 5. When there are a plurality of flaps 3, rows of flaps 3 are arranged parallel to each other to form a set of flaps 3. The control element 13 is located at one of the flaps 3 or one end of the set of flaps 3 and is one or more centered on the swirl axis A between the open position (not shown) and the closed position shown in FIG. The flaps 3 are allowed to rotate, and in the open position one or more flaps 3 are arranged to allow air flow to pass through the sealing device 1, especially the support frame 5, and in the closed position the air flow causes the sealing device 1 to pass. One or more flaps 3 are arranged so that they cannot pass through.

As shown in FIG. 1, the front end intake sealing device 1 of an automobile can have several sets of flaps 3 extending over the full width of the support frame 5. The set of flaps 3 can be separated by a control element 13 to ensure their synchronous rotation.

As shown in FIG. 2, the control element 13 is particularly a connecting rod 7. One or more flaps 3 include a control arm 39 that is perpendicular to its swivel axis A and supports the connecting pin 303 (shown in FIG. 3) along the connecting axis B. The connecting pin 303 allows the flap 3 and the connecting rod 7 to be connected together. The swivel axis A and the connecting axis B are not the same, but both are parallel to the axis Y of the axis system. The control arm 39 is usually made of the material of the flap 3.

The control element 13 usually includes an actuator 9. The actuator 9 may be an electric type like an electric motor, or may be a pneumatic type like a pneumatic jack. The actuator 9 applies translational motion to the connecting rod 7 along the axis Z of the axis system by turning the lever 11.

Each flap 3 can swivel about a swivel axis A defined by the connection between the flap and the support frame 5. The connecting pin 303 between the flap 3 and the control connecting rod 7 has a translational motion parallel to the axis Z of the axis system of the control connecting rod 7 centering the flap 3 around each swivel axis A under the action of the actuator 9. It is eccentric with respect to the turning axis A so that it swivels, thereby moving the flap 3 from one position to another.

Since all flaps 3 are connected to the same connecting rod 7, all flaps 3 move synchronously from the open position to the closed position. The set may include only one flap 3.

The flap according to the present invention includes a flap main body 31 having an outer plate 310, an outer plate 310 including a hollow contour portion, and one end piece 30 arranged at each end of the flap main body 31, and each end portion. The pieces 30 are arranged so as to close only one corresponding hollow contour portion.

As shown in FIG. 3, the flap 3 may have an elongated flap body 31 of length L extending along its swivel axis A. The flap body 31 can have a cross section particularly wide l. More specifically, the cross section of the flap body 31 can have a substantially elliptical contour. However, other shapes of the cross-sectional contour of the flap body 31 are possible, eg rectangular or having a hollow central portion with extending fins.

The end piece 30 is arranged at each end of the flap body 31. In this case, it is understood that the end is related to the longitudinal direction of the flap body 31. The end piece 30 has a protrusion 300 on a first surface directed toward the flap body 31, and the protrusion 300 projects parallel to the swivel axis A so as to be fitted to the end of the flap body 31. .. The end piece 30 also has a pin 301 on a second surface facing the first surface, which extends along the swivel axis A of the flap 3 and cooperates with a bearing supported by a support frame 5. do. The end piece 30 can also have a flange 302 at the interface between the end piece 30 and the end of the flap body 31, which extends perpendicular to the swivel axis A. The flange 302 is particularly useful for protecting the support frame 5 and the control element 13 from any water and dust that can reach the flap body 31.

At least one of the end pieces 30 also has a connecting pin 303 on the second surface, the connecting pin 303 forming a control arm 39 and connecting the flap 3 to the connecting rod 7 so as to connect to the connecting axis B. Extend along.

The end piece 30 is preferably made of plastic by injection molding. The end pieces 30 are located at both ends of the flap body 31 and can have different shapes or may have the same shape as shown in FIG. 3, which helps reduce manufacturing costs.

FIG. 4 shows a cross section of the flap main body 31. The flap body 31 has an outer plate 310 that defines the hollow. The skin 310 is made by extruding a first material. The first material can be, for example, a metal material, and the thickness of the outer plate 310 can be 0.1 to 0.5 mm, preferably 0.2 to 0.3 mm. Further, the first material can be a thermoplastic polymer, and the thickness of the outer plate 310 can be 0.5 to 1 mm, preferably 0.7 to 0.9 mm. These thicknesses of the skin 310 are thinner than the thickness of the flap 3 made by molding.

The flap body 31 may also have at least one support member 311 inside the hollow thereof, which connects the two facing portions 310a and 310b of the outer plate 310 of the cross section. These support members 311 allow the flap body 31 to remain light and rigid regardless of its length L. The number of these support members 311 depends on the width l of the flap body 31. The larger the width l, the more support members 311. The support material 311 is simultaneously formed by extrusion from the same material as the outer plate 310.

The flap body 31 can also have a seal 313 on at least one of its edges 312, the seal 313 being made of a second material, in particular an elastic material. The edge portion 312 is an end portion of a cross section of the flap body 31. The edge portion 312 extends parallel to the swivel axis A. The second material may be a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) such as, for example, polystyrene-b-poly (ethylene / butylene) b-polystyrene (SEBS), for example, a thermoplastic styrene elastomer (TPS). The seal 313 seals the flaps 3 to each other with the support frame 5 when the flaps are in the closed position. The seal 313 can be glued to the edge of the flap body 31 or molded by simultaneously extruding the skin 310 and one or more support members 311 in which the process is coextruded. be.

The flap according to the present invention includes a main body having an outer plate, an outer plate including a hollow contour portion, and two end pieces arranged at the ends of the flap main body, and each end piece is one corresponding one. It is arranged so as to block only the hollow contour portion.

According to one aspect of the invention, the end pieces have different shapes.

According to another aspect of the invention, the flap body has at least one support that connects the two opposing portions of the skin.

According to another aspect of the invention, at least one end piece has a pin extending along a swivel axis designed to work with a bearing supported by a support frame.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing steps of a method for manufacturing the flap 3. The manufacturing method includes the following steps:
In the first step 101, where the hollow contour is extruded from the first material, the hollow contour has a cross section. During this first step 101, at least one support member 311 may be formed in the hollow of the contour portion.
In the second step 103, the hollow contour portion is cut to a predetermined length L to form the flap main body 31.
In the third step 105, the end piece 30 is attached to the end of the flap body 31.
According to the first embodiment, the manufacturing method can include an additional step 107 in which the seal 313 is placed on at least one of the edges 312 of the flap body 31. The additional step 107 is performed after the first extrusion step 101, for example immediately after, or after the second step 103, or after the third step 105. The seal 313 can be adhered to, for example, the edge 312 of the flap body 31.

According to the second embodiment, the first extrusion step 101 is to form a seal 313 on a first material intended to form a hollow contour and at least one edge 312 of the hollow contour. Is a coextrusion with a second material intended for.

Due to the fact that the hollow contour portion forming the flap body 31 is manufactured by extrusion molding, it is possible to obtain an outer plate 311 thinner than the manufacturing method by molding molding. The thinner skin 310 makes the flap 3 lighter, but retains not only the rigidity, especially due to the presence of the support 311 but also the substantially elliptical shape.

Using a thermoplastic polymer as the first material, it is possible to make the skin 310 to a thickness between 0.5 and 1 mm, especially between 0.7 and 0.9 mm.

The first extrusion step 101 also allows the outer plate 310 to be made of a first metallic material. When the first material is metal, the outer plate 310 can have a thickness of between 0.1 and 0.5 mm, particularly between 0.2 and 0.3 mm.

Further, since the first step 101 is an extrusion step, the manufacturing method is cheaper and more flexible than molding. In practice, it is not necessary to change the mold to change the length of the flap 3, it is only necessary to change the cutting length of the hollow contour portion. To change either the structure of the flap body 31, i.e. the shape, width l or number of the support members 311 would simply need to change the die of the extruder, which is considerably cheaper than the entire mold.

Therefore, the manufacturing method according to the present invention clearly enables the manufacturing of the flap 3 which is lighter and has higher rigidity, and the manufacturing method is inexpensive and flexible.

Claims (9)

A method of manufacturing a flap (3) for an automobile sealing device (1), wherein the method is:
A step of extruding a hollow contour formed from an outer plate (310) made of a metallic material,
A step of cutting the hollow contour portion to a predetermined length (L) so as to form the flap body (31), and
Including the step of attaching the end piece (30) to the end of the flap body (31).
A manufacturing method in which the thickness of the outer plate (310) of the flap body (31) is between 0.1 and 0.5 mm . The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein at least one support member (311) is formed in the hollow of the contour portion during the extrusion step of the hollow contour portion. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the manufacturing method comprises an additional step of placing a seal (313) on at least one of the edges (312) of the flap body (31). The extrusion step was intended to form a seal (313) on a first material intended to form the hollow contour and at least one said edge (312) of the hollow contour. The production method according to claim 1 or 2, which is coextrusion with a second material. The manufacturing method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the hollow contour portion has a substantially elliptical contour cross section. A flap body (31) having an outer plate (310) made of a metal material, the outer plate (310) including a hollow contour portion, and one end piece arranged at each end of the flap body (31). A flap of an air intake sealing device comprising (30), each end piece (30) being arranged to close only one corresponding hollow contour portion , said flap body (31) . ), The flap of the sealing device, wherein the thickness of the outer plate (310) is between 0.1 and 0.5 mm . The sealing device flap according to claim 6 , wherein the end pieces (30) arranged at both ends of the flap body (31) have different shapes. The sealing device flap according to claim 6 or 7 , wherein the flap body (31) has at least one support member (311) connecting two facing portions (310a, 310b) of the outer plate (310). 6 . The sealing device flap according to any one of 8 to 8 .

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